Caffeinated Beginnings
by Canned.Laughter
Summary: In which Haruhi embarks on a romance without even realizing it. A not very obvious tale of love between our beloved heroine and a Hiitachin. But not the one you'd expect. Complete.
1. 1 of 3: Food Makes The World Go Round

**Caffeinated Beginnings**: A Not-So-Obvious Romance.

By .Canned.Laughter.

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**A/N: **I guess I'm back in the Ouran fandom, eh? Just when I think I've had enough, it pulls me right back in! Dang, this series is infectious.

For those of you who have NO inkling as to what I'm talking about, I'm referring to the Ouran/Furuba crossover one-shot I wrote a few months back. Take a look-see if you're interested!

Anyways, like I said previously, I'm back! I had this idea tinkering in my mind. A year or so ago, I read a story by Skoosiepants (who wrote in the Harry Potter fandom) that was a romance between Hermione and Blaise. The way Blaise courted Hermione was in such a roundabout manner, that I thought it was the perfect way to properly court Haruhi. I mean, the girl is obviously dense when it comes to her own love life. Her suitors failed miserably in that they tried too hard to straight out confess their feelings to her.

Hence, this story. I'm crediting Skoosiepants with the idea and the slight similarities at the beginning, though this has neither a small apartment (other than Haruhi's), or a commune living in it. It's simply a story that starts off with a coffee..."thing". Poor Haruhi, she won't know what hit her.

Also as a bit of a warning, I have set the time for this story to be at the start of Haruhi's second year. Considering Bisco Hatori's blatant remarks that her timeline is hardly accurate (Hunni and Mori never graduate. Hmm.), I am just assuming that some time has passed after all those events that we have read about in the manga so far. And yes, this is taken from the manga, not the anime. Because after that little stunt with the carriage and Éclair, I don't want to deny that the anime clearly ties Tamaki with Haruhi. The manga is more ambiguous at the moment, which lends to more romantic possibilities for us authors who are fighting for another host club suitor other than Tamaki. Tamaki is all well and good, but he's so predictable! Granted, at this point, all of them pretty much are...we won't dwell on that.

I'm rambling. Here we go, a little bit of a roundabout romance hopefully for your reading pleasure. I'm playing with a different writing style here, so please forgive any errors or weird transitions that I haven't picked up on. Reviews and highly welcome; constructive criticism more so!

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**Disclaimer:** This will go for all three parts of this story. I don't claim ownership of Ouran High School Host Club, that belongs to Bisco. The dear, dear sweet thing.

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**Part I: In Which There Is A Caffeinated Beginning**

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It was an ordinary spring afternoon, after an ordinary day of school at Ouran High. The host club was in session, with the din of squealing girls and whispered nothings from seven of the best looking young men in the school filling the air.

This would be the third year of the Ouran High School host club's operation. Things were more or less the same, even with the few changes in the club's membership.

Hunni and Mori had graduated last year, though Yasuchika and Satoshi joined to take their respective brother's places. Both had entered high school this year as first year students in class 1-A. Satoshi was more than willing to follow in his revered brother's footsteps, dragging Chika along even though Chika sulked the entire way. He conceded because of Satoshi's threats, though the rest of the host club knew the truth...that Yasuchika idolized Hunni more than he let on.

The two were wildly popular among the female population, Yasuchika's taciturn and driven attitude seen as "noble" while Satoshi's playful personality charmed his customers.

Tamaki, now in his third and final year, was still the president of the club, and as extravagant as ever. However, he had stopped pressing familial roles upon the rest of the host club members on account of the fact that Haruhi rejected him towards the end of last year. It had been entirely accidental, as all of Haruhi's rejections were, but that time had been different from all the other times Tamaki had foolishly pushed his feelings upon his former "daughter". That time, Tamaki hadn't rushed to his corner of woe. The host club knew that he had taken her seriously for once, and since then he had toned down his "fatherly instincts". They didn't talk about "that time" much, in respect for their King. It wasn't Haruhi's fault, of course...it never was. But it had been an awkward time. To the rest of the host club's relief, Tamaki and Haruhi's friendship didn't fall apart. Surprisingly enough, it had strengthened once the blond host club King became less overbearing around the Natural.

Even more shocking news came right before the beginning of this school year. Tamaki began courting another girl from his class on the side, a girl who hadn't ever visited the host club. Her name was Hanajima Kimiko, and she was the second daughter in a family of very old money. Unlike her peers, she was kind and gentle, much less blunt than Haruhi. They kept their relationship out of club activities, so that when Tamaki was at the club he was the ultimate Host King. However outside of club, during school hours, he was the Perfect Boyfriend. This was the silent rule at Ouran High, and so far it had been working nicely. Tamaki's girlfriend earned the rest of the club's approval by understanding Tamaki's importance to the club and allowing him to continue as the host club king. In return, the fangirls kept their distance while Tamaki was outside of the Third Music Room. Sometimes it seemed unreal how reasonable the entire situation turned out. But that's how the host club always operated, teetering on the edge of the absurd.

Kyoya remained the vice president and resident Shadow King of the club. Though Tamaki had the final word, it was Kyoya who remained the one to nudge Tamaki in the right direction. No one in the club, not even Chika, dared to oppose his sugar-coated orders. He kept the customers coming in like clockwork, always on time, always prepared. Not much had changed other than the fact that his father was closer than ever in choosing the heir to his throne. Kyoya worked harder than ever, impressing his hard-to-impress fellow club members with every new cosplay event they put on.

Haruhi was now in her second year, with the twins. Her gender still remained unknown to the rest of the school other than a select few. Their "manager" Renge had eventually figured it out, again accidentally...but has anything ever happened intentionally to the apathetic Natural? Instead of being horrified at having fantasized over a girl, Renge turned Haruhi into her butt-kicking female heroine in her action-packed daydreams, and pushed even harder than Tamaki had in putting Haruhi into feminine cosplay outfits. She thought it incredibly heroic of Haruhi to have "invaded the deep recesses of male-dom for all female-kind".

None of it, of course, made sense to the rest of the host club; however they played along for the amusement factor.

Haruhi took it in stride as she always did; only protesting when things became too chaotic. She had stopped trying to question the absurdity of her friends and her situation, instead falling into a zen-like attitude and flowing with the pandemonium. Oddly enough, this passivity made the host club members adore her even more. She was still the center of their small and elite universe, albeit an unwilling one.

The twins continued to be the hurricane that more or less initiated the chaos by antagonizing Tamaki. Kaoru pulled females in with his act of vulnerability while Hikaru played the role of the dominant male, an incestuous bond of forbidden love. They still loved to tease their Lord, and to play with Haruhi as if she were a doll. However, Hikaru came to accept, or rather, justify his lack of courage to confess his crush for Haruhi. Throughout that first year, Kaoru had watched while his brother blushed and became a flustered school boy around their adorable Haruhi. But it wasn't enough. And even Hikaru had admitted it, when "that time" came and Tamaki gave up on his daughter. The older Hiitachin hadn't believed in himself, and had assumed that Tamaki would be the one to steal Haruhi's heart. Kaoru sometimes thought that Hikaru gave up before he truly had begun.

Haruhi never woke up to either Tamaki or Hikaru's feelings. While both of the young men slowly came to accept this fact, Kaoru wondered. He examined Haruhi, and her obliviousness. He questioned how Tamaki and his brother could simply give up before truly trying. Whether or not they had valued the resident commoner enough. And he wondered what it would take to value her "that much".

That is where our story begins.

* * *

Haruhi never understood why her fellow female classmates would spend their hours after class fawning over a group of males. Frivolous, rich bastards of males, no less. But then again, Haruhi wasn't like the rest of the female population at Ouran. She didn't have time to spare, counting on her parents' money to get her through life. She had always worked hard for her goals, combining her own pragmatist personality with her commoner sensibilities. Perhaps it wasn't even the fact that the other girls were so much richer than her, it was possible that Haruhi simply wasn't...girly. Romantic. Soft and emotional and easily wooed.

So on that afternoon, once the screams of the fangirls faded from her ears and Renge left for home ("You must add more tragedy to your character! Girls love tragic heroes Haruhi!"), Haruhi gave a sigh of relief. She always felt one step closer to reducing her debt after another day of club activities, but Kyoya-senpai always managed to pull her right back in somehow. It was getting to the point where Haruhi was a little tired of her "work hard and things will turn out alright" philosophy.

The maids came in to clean up after that, always half an hour after the host club was finished for the day. The boys, and girl, would sit and relax until then. It was on this one particular afternoon that Haruhi chose to spend her time flopping on the couch and rest her head against the plush back. She felt another weight sink onto the cushion right next to her.

"Haruhi, Haruhi, I'm bored."

Prying open one eyelid, Haruhi eyed Kaoru with irritation. He didn't cling to her like Hikaru sometimes did, but he did lean forward so that his cheek was just barely brushing her own. Sometimes Haruhi wondered why, out of all the rich young men in the world, she had to be stuck with the ones who didn't understand the concept of "personal space".

"Where's Hikaru? Surely he can keep you entertained."

"Out."

Haruhi opened her other eye. "Out? Without you?"

Kaoru straightened in his seat and gave her one of his chesire grins. He winked, as if letting her in on a big secret. Frankly, Haruhi wouldn't have minded if he kept his secrets to himself. More often than not, the twins pulling her into their own private world was a bad thing. But seeing as the Hiitachin brothers never paid heed to how she felt, Haruhi sighed and sat up as well. Kaoru jerked his head towards the door of the Third Music Room.

"He cut out right after the girls left. Try to guess why."

"Will it cost me anything if I guess wrong?"

"Do you think so little of me, dear Haruhi, that you'd honestly believe I'd charge you?"

Haruhi stared at him, nonplussed. She took some amusement to see that Kaoru wilted, just a little.

"With you and Hikaru, I withhold any assumptions."

"Fine then, ruin my fun." Kaoru sat fully back and crossed his arms, pretending to pout. But after two seconds, he shook off the disappointment like water. Haruhi was always amazed at how hard it was to disgruntle a Hiitachin. "He's got a _crush_."

Haruhi blinked, thinking she misheard. "Who? Hikaru?"

"Who else?" Kaoru smiled. "He went to watch her at choir practice."

"You're pulling my leg, aren't you?"

"Nope, on my honor-"

"-Which doesn't mean much-"

"-I'm telling the truth." Kaoru finished. "Mou...Haruhi, why are you so mean?"

Knowing that he'd only pester her more if she answered in her normally blunt manner, Haruhi simply shrugged and veered back on topic. "What's her name?"

Kaoru grinned. "Why? Are you _jealous_?"

"You say the most ridiculous things sometimes."

In response, Kaoru gave a satisfied grin. "Just checking. Her name's Daidouji Tomoyo. She's in class 1-A. I think her mother owns a successful toy company." He waved to Tamaki's significant other, Kimiko, who had just walked in straight from orchestra. Kimiko was a nice girl; Haruhi respected her ability to withstand Tamaki's over-exuberant nature for long periods at a time. They sat down at one of the tables still set up, Tamaki bursting with chatter. It was the boyish side of him that didn't go on display during hosting duties, the side that wouldn't concede with his suave, "princely" persona. Haruhi lost herself in this thought, and smiled when Tamaki chuckled at Kimiko's conversation. She was only pulled out of it by the clinking of porcelain next to her.

"Blech, this stuff tastes nasty. How can you stand it?"

Haruhi gave a start and turned back to Kaoru, who was putting down a cup of coffee. "What?"

"Do commoners have less advanced taste buds? Can you not tell that you're not getting your money's worth?"

"Excuse me, but I believe _you_ guys were the ones who insisted I buy the instant coffee for you."

"My dear Haruhi," Kaoru scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "Sampling proletariat coffee is merely an _adventure_, but that doesn't mean I have to _enjoy_ the taste. Honestly, how can you stand it?"

Haruhi frowned, and picked up the cup that Kaoru just put down in distaste. She sipped at the lukewarm liquid. "It tastes fine to me. As long as it wakes the person up...isn't the function of coffee the most important thing?"

"Horrible!" Kaoru swept the back of his hand to his brow, appalled at Haruhi's indifference. "The taste is _everything_! All those poor unfortunate workers who painstakingly grow beans worthy for our hired staff to grind! Are you _belittling_ their very purpose in life?"

"What, to make _your_ life easier? You're beginning to sound too much like Tamaki-senpai, Kaoru."

Kaoru grinned, his amber eyes lighting up in laughter. "It _was_ a good impression, wasn't it?"

"One Tamaki-senpai is enough, thank you very much." Haruhi turned back to the coffee and took another sip. She swirled the dark liquid around in its no doubt more-expensive-than-her-apartment cup and watched the little hurricane that followed. The whirlwind was stopped short when Kaoru's slender fingers plucked that cup out of Haruhi's hands.

"Hey! Kaoru, don't waste food!"

"It's not like it's _gourmet_ coffee, you can buy _pounds_ of it at that commoner grocery store." Kaoru stood up and brushed off the imaginary lint from his jeans that probably also cost a fortune. He ran a hand through his stylishly-messy auburn hair and turned dark amber eyes towards Haruhi. Jerking his head towards the door, he grinned. "Toss that crap away and let's go get some _real_ coffee. Hikaru's not going to be done for at least another hour; our driver can pick him up later."

"Wait a min-"

But Kaoru was already heading out the door, ignoring Haruhi's protests as she was dragged along by her wrist.

"At least let me walk on my own, Kaoru!"

* * *

**Part II: In Which There Are Crepes**

* * *

Haruhi had thought it a little odd at the time, for Kaoru to be so assertive. But Haruhi being Haruhi, she didn't pay much heed to it. She figured that with the host club, nothing would surprise her anymore. The coffee had been exquisite the day before, though Haruhi had been reluctant to admit Kaoru had been right and that taste mattered. Kaoru teased her most of the way home, because Haruhi rarely admitted to being wrong.

The next afternoon found Haruhi sighing once again, smiling as the last of the girls left the music room and towards their limos. She adjusted the tie to her uniform and swiped at a stray bang before turning around from the door and almost bumping into Tamaki.

"Ah, gomen ne, Tamaki-senpai."

Tamaki, still in his Roman soldier uniform, nearly glowed with accomplishment after having reached his record high in number of designations in one afternoon. He swept an arm around Haruhi and gave it an affectionate squeeze.

"It's quite alright, my dear Haruhi! The light of my ravishing figure must have blinded your poor proletariat eyes!"

"Er..." Haruhi gave a weak smile and attempted to nudge Tamaki's arm off her shoulder. "I don't think..."

"Fear not little sparrow! For though I have let you leave my humble nest, that does not mean I care not for your unfortunate vision complications! Oh dear, dear Haruhi, your vulnerability is simply adorable!"

As he spun her around, Haruhi fought the dizziness and grunted in her attempts to free herself from his surprisingly strong grip. She was relieved that he had toned down his "fatherly" act some time ago, but every now and again he was prone to go into "Father" mode once more. Tamaki let her go and stared into her eyes, bending down to match their heights.

"Of course, dear Haruhi, your eyesight is of the utmost importance to me! Tomorrow we shall not use so much shining jewelry. Kyoya! I declare tomorrow to be a Commoner Laborer day! We shall wear that which Haruhi is most used to seeing in her everyday whereabouts! Police! Mailmen! Waiters!"

Kyoya didn't even look up from where he was typing away at his laptop. The light from the chandeliers glinted off of his glasses. "I don't believe commoners visit restaurants enough for seeing "waiters" to be an everyday occurrence."

Haruhi frowned in irritation. It was just like Kyoya-senpai to mention that just to rub her own commoner blood in her face. Tamaki-senpai ran off to argue the merits of commoner labor with his supposed best friend, leaving Haruhi a little bewildered. Though that came as no surprise, even after spending a year with the excitable Chairman's son, Haruhi never got used to Tamaki's ability to rush in like the wind and leave just as quickly.

Two arms slunk over her shoulders from behind her, wrapping themselves around her neck in a loose hug. Haruhi could feel short spikes of hair rubbing against her ear, scratching against her cheek. She recognized the scent of fresh strawberries that seemed to waft off of him naturally.

"Haruhiiii...I'm bored..."

"We went for coffee yesterday, go find someone else to bother."

Kaoru paused. "How did you know it was me?"

Giving another pointed sigh, Haruhi wearily pushed Kaoru's long arms off and turned to face him. She shrugged halfheartedly. "Your voice. Your smell. I don't know, I just did."

The younger Hiitachin smiled and cocked his head. Haruhi could never quite tell what he was thinking. It was getting easier and easier to guess at Hikaru's mind; he wore his heart on his sleeve and had a very open face. Kaoru was different. Though he played the weaker sibling in their "brotherly love" act for the fangirls, Kaoru was a little less brash, a little more thoughtful and a little more cautious in displaying any emotion outside of what was expected of him by the rest of the school. Without Hikaru there to act as the leader in their hi-jinks, Haruhi noticed the Kaoru preferred to step back and observe rather than participate.

Kaoru finally spoke. "You didn't think I was Hikaru?"

Haruhi's voice grew flat. "Honestly, you're not entirely identical, though the rest of the school may have trouble believing that." She noticed the absence of the older Hiitachin. "Where's Hikaru?"

Kaoru's grin grew wider. "Can you guess?"

"I'd rather not."

"Haruhiii..." Kaoru grabbed the commoner and squeezed her tight, pressing his cheek gently against hers as if bringing her into his own perspective. "Don't be so boring. How will you attract suitors with that drab attitude of yours?"

"That hardly matters. Get off, you're _heavy_."

"No. Play with me."

"No way."

Haruhi managed to shrug Kaoru off for the umpteenth time, and exhaled exasperatedly. Tamaki was still going off to Kyoya about the benefits of the working class, but Kimiko had just walked in. No doubt she'll calm him down with those magical powers Haruhi suspected she possessed. Satoshi and Chika had left only a few seconds ago, Hunni had invited them out to try out that new pastry shop that opened up a few streets down. Chika was reluctant, but Satoshi was insistent that they go in respect of their elder siblings. Mori would obviously be there, when was he not within a few feet of Hunni? Haruhi was jealous; she had heard that they made wonderful strawberry cakes. But she had homework to do, and dinner to cook for her father.

Kaoru's voice came up from behind her as Haruhi gathered her things together. "Where are you going?"

"Home, where else?"

"I'll walk you!"

Haruhi stopped and turned back to face Kaoru, giving him a scrutinizing stare. She assumed he'd only pester her the entire way back. "Please don't."

"Now, now, Haruhi dear, don't be like that. What if someone attacks you on the way? I couldn't let a horrible villain hurt our poor commoner pet!"

"No really...please _don't_ follow me home..."

"I wouldn't be a gentleman if I didn't escort the lovely lady home, now, would I?"

"I _said_..."

But she knew it was too late, so Haruhi groaned in defeat and walked down the hall towards the main entrance of the building, pointedly ignoring the laidback whistle of the younger Hiitachin behind her. They walked a block that way, Haruhi doing her best not to acknowledge he was there and Kaoru casually strolling just a few steps behind her as if he didn't have a care in the world. Finally, Haruhi had enough. She had been friends with the Hiitachin twins long enough to know that they were both stubborn as mules. Even without Hikaru, Kaoru would follow her until she bent down to his will, even if that meant coming into her home and generally being a headache. Sometimes Haruhi wasn't sure why she had put up with the twins for this long. Perhaps having a passive personality had its downside.

Haruhi stopped, and allowed Kaoru to fall into step with her before continuing on. It was a silent walk for another block before Haruhi spoke up.

"You must be lonely, ne, Kaoru? To come to _me_, of all people, for company."

"Eh?" Kaoru squinted down at Haruhi, his eyes blinking in surprise. "What makes you say that?" His arms were bent behind his head, hands clutching at his book satchel as it dangled precariously over the sidewalk.

"Well," Haruhi smiled a little wistfully. "You and Hikaru, you've been together your entire life. You said so yourself; you were in your own little world up till recently."

They entered into a park. Haruhi liked this large expanse of greenery, it made the tall buildings and gray streets seem tolerable. She crossed through it as often as she could, even if it was the long way home. There was a playground several feet off, and Haruhi stopped to watch the little boys and girls playing in the sand. Sometimes she missed those days, when it was so simple. All your concerns lay in whether or not you could exhaust yourself playing before night came.

Kaoru came to stand beside her, eyes also trained on the jungle gym and swing set.

"We...Hikaru and I...we're not completely inseparable."

"Sometimes you give off that impression."

"Blunt as ever, aren't you Haruhi?"

Haruhi looked up at Kaoru and smiled. It was the smile that gave her the title of "Natural Rookie" last year, the one that compelled people to sit and _listen_ to what she had to say.

"Aw, come on. From what I've heard, you two wouldn't let _anyone_ in until Tamaki-senpai managed to force himself through. But then again, Tamaki-senpai has the strangest ability to get his way no matter the obstacle."

"...We let _you_ in."

"Dragged me in, more like."

"Same difference." Kaoru shrugged. Haruhi caught on to his façade of indifference. He was like Hikaru in some ways, unable to face truths he didn't like.

"Either way, you must miss Hikaru. Now that he's got something that...doesn't include you."

Haruhi turned back to watch the kids. A little boy was rampaging through the jungle gym, holding on to a stick and swinging it about like a sword. He kicked at the sand, ruining a little girl's castle. To which the little girl stood up and kicked the boy in the shin. Haruhi commended the little girl silently. Her ears perked when Kaoru came up with a response.

"It started awhile ago; I've had time to get used to it."

"When?"

"When he got a crush on y-" Kaoru paused. "...Never mind."

"What? When he got a crush on who?"

"It doesn't matter. He doesn't like her like that anymore. The point is; it's not like this is sudden. I'm not lonely."

"If you say so..."

"I'm _not_. I've had time for myself to think about what _I_ want, for a change."

"Is that a good thing?"

"You don't have to sound so suspicious."

"I didn't mean to."

"...Yeah. Right. And it's just _different_, I'll have you know. I'm adjusting."

"Well, _good_." Haruhi smiled again, directly at Kaoru. "Have you figured it out, then? What you want?"

Kaoru cocked an eyebrow at her and frowned in thought, not answering Haruhi right away. He looked around the park, scratching the back of his head. Pointing a little ways down from them, he said, "I know I want crepes right now."

"What?"

"Crepes." Kaoru gestured to the small wagon that was set off one of the pathways. "I want crepes. Let's get one!"

He took off down the path before Haruhi could register that he was gone. Hurriedly, she picked up her pace, cursing her short legs and inability to move faster than a snail's pace.

"Hey, wait a sec-Kaoru! Wait!"

They had crepes together before Kaoru finally walked Haruhi back to her house. Haruhi was still a little irritated that Kaoru left her running like that, but she didn't mind. Not if she got free food as an apology. It had strawberry filling too, which almost made up for the fact that she didn't get to try those strawberry cakes with Hunni-senpai.

* * *

Kaoru later showed up at Haruhi's door that weekend, dragging her to the new pastry shop she hadn't had the chance to go to. They had strawberry cakes and iced tea sitting outside watching people pass them by. A few days later he managed to convince her to join him for ice cream at a store Daidouji had recommended to Hikaru. Haruhi complained that Kaoru was trying to get her fat with all these desserts. Kyoya would just make her pay for a larger uniform, and that would be a hindrance more than anything to her debt.

Kaoru laid off the sweets, but made Haruhi promise to get hot dogs with him that weekend. He had heard about the American delicacy from a girl in their class who had just traveled to New York. Haruhi stopped complaining after awhile, because Kaoru was obviously paying. No commoner gave up free food.

* * *

**A/N:** So...what did you think? Part one of three is finished! I wanted to separate this story into two parts only, but this section got so long with all that dialogue that I just cut it into three. I don't know why I didn't do that initially either, since with the timeline it just works SO much better as three parts rather than two.

I apologize for the possibly lengthy exposition at the beginning of the story. I wanted to make sure the changes in the club were fairly clear.

And yes, these sections are a little shorter than I'm normally used to writing. But I'm trying to write in a much more blunt style, a passive style that suits Haruhi. This tale is mostly told from her perspective, after all.

There are two references to other series here, can you guess at what they are? Hint: Hanajima and Daidouji. They should be fairly obvious, I would think.

See you soon! Hopefully I'll have the next section out within the week.


	2. 2 of 3: Summer Makes The World Go Round

**Caffeinated Beginnings**: A Not-So-Obvious Romance

By .Canned.Laughter.

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**A/N:** Hey there! It's Sunday night and I have opening shift at work tomorrow! You know what that means? I'm up far too late to even be writing! But I did finish this, just because I wanted to, and I know how much you guys look forward to these things. Hopefully my story won't be pushed back by all sorts of new submissions by the time tomorrow morning comes. It seems like entries get pushed to the second page on ff . net faster and faster due to the overwhelming popularity of the fandom.

Anyways.

Thanks to the three who reviewed ever so kindly to the first installment: midnite-silver, chibi-kaitou, and inuwolf04. I really appreciate the encouragement.

Enjoy this next installment, and I'll see you soon hopefully with the conclusion.

* * *

**Part III: In Which There Are Thunderstorms**

* * *

The first trimester was coming to an end, and everyone was busy preparing for exams. However, Ouran being a place for students with wealthy lineages, most didn't study with the pressure of "getting ahead in life" in mind. They had connections for that.

Given the relatively relaxed atmosphere, the host club spent a lot of their free time planning for a special event that would send their female customers off for the month-long summer break. Haruhi refused to do another beach vacation with the other hosts during their break, not after the fiasco that was their last vacation. Tamaki was disappointed, but he had plans anyways with Kimiko to visit some historical landmarks in Japan. Even after living here for several years, Tamaki's fanaticism for Japanese culture had not waned. Not even after learning that most of the absurd tall tales his father had told him in jest were completely false.

It was to be a large gala, with a limited guest list. That was Kyoya's suggestion, so that they could charge admission and increase the desire to attend. He spent a lot of his time promoting the gala to the girls when they came in after school. Kyoya was also the one in charge of making sure preparations went smoothly. Satoshi and Chika, being the underlings of the operation, were the slaves to Kyoya's very intimidating Boss Character.

Hikaru managed to rope Daidouji in to help out with the décor of the hall they were using. The host club could have managed by themselves, as they always did, but by this time most of them knew Hikaru's feelings for the first year. Minus Tamaki of course, but that was understandable. The host club king was a romantic by nature, but he was also incredibly dense when it came to matters of the heart. The rest of the club didn't quite understand how this worked out, but it did.

Most of them found the dark-haired, violet-eyed young woman to be pleasant enough to work with. She designed costumes on the side, mostly for her cousin Kinomoto Sakura who went to a different high school. Hikaru would spend his time discussing fashion with her. Kaoru was always invited, but he; being the observant brother he was, kept out of the way when they were in the thick of their conversations. Besides, Hikaru and Daidouji seemed to love the showy and extravagant side of fashion. Kaoru was always more interested in everyday wear. He predicted that Hikaru would find himself a career in theater costume design.

Kaoru spent most of his free time pestering Haruhi. By this time, he had introduced her to most of America's unique foods. Haruhi admitted to liking sloppy joes immensely. Kaoru thought it was typical of a commoner to enjoy foreign commoner food. Haruhi didn't speak to him for a day for that comment. But she never stayed angry for long, so Kaoru didn't worry too much about it. He ended up dragging her to the park for crepes again, as an apology.

Haruhi complained about all the fuss, as per usual. She sometimes thought she was the only one who took their exams seriously. However when all was said and done, she was a brilliant young thing. The rest of the club persuaded her with the fact that she didn't need to study as much as she thought she did. In the end, the apathetic commoner went along with the plans the way she went along with all their plans: not doing anything to help out, but willingly getting into costume when the time came. The rest of the host club didn't protest, most of them were still too infatuated with dressing her up to care whether or not she played a more productive role in the event.

By the time exams rolled around, the event was well under way and ready to be held the evening after school got out for the summer.

* * *

The day had gone by smoothly; Haruhi's exams were a breeze, as they always were. She admitted to not being the brightest student in the world, however she studied hard. That's what counted in life: hard work and dedication. Her rich classmates would beg to differ, but Haruhi chose to ignore their lack of respect for earnest labor. She had spent her afternoon lazily sitting in the gardens right outside of the high school, enjoying the summer haze that had set over the grounds. Kyoya had the two first years working on last-minute preparations, but the rest of the club were free to spend their few hours before the gala as they wished.

She had not been happy once the time came to get dressed for the occasion, however. Renge had insisted on adding in her own inspiration to Daidouji-san's and Hikaru's costuming ideas. By the time Haruhi had gotten to the Third Music Room, which was turned into the host club's dressing room and backstage area, they had laid out a rather excessive dress for her. It never made sense to her, why they'd want her to dress up as a girl when it was _supposed_ to be a secret that she wasn't a boy. But Renge had only waved her off with the assurance that "of course girls want you to dress up in feminine-wear! That's a major attraction Haruhi, they love seeing boys in dresses!"

Maybe it was a rich society thing. Haruhi didn't care to inquire further. She chose to spend her hour getting prepared staring in annoyance at the monstrosity they had created just for her.

It was grandiose. The theme was Versailles court attire from late 17th century, complete with a rose-colored thick satin that Haruhi was even afraid to ask the price of. The neckline plunged dangerously low, and the thick skirt was looped up to reveal layers of white lace petticoats. She especially hated the sleeves, which were puffs that tied near the elbow with a caterpillar green ribbon. The same ribbon threaded itself through her bodice and around the hem of her skirt to give it a splash of color. In all, it was beautiful to look at, but Haruhi was not the type of girl to wear outfits like this. She had wrestled with the costume before managing to get it down to the last few ties at the very top of her back.

"Haruhi, are you decent?" Kaoru's voice came through the curtain they had placed for Haruhi to change behind.

"I need help."

"Of course you do."

Kaoru stepped in, his costume already neatly arranged around his figure. He was dressed in a deep blueberry color trimmed in gold. His breeches were a thick gold fabric; his full blue sleeves were pinned at the elbow by gold buttons. His hat had a wide brim and flat crown, cocked to the side so that one of his eyes was halfway covered. Sticking out of it was a large peacock feather.

Haruhi took one look at him and snorted. "That is the most ridiculous looking hat I have ever seen."

"It's a capotain, they were all the rage back then." Kaoru grinned and pushed it further up the back of his head, causing the front to cover his entire right eye. "Dashing, isn't it?"

"If you say so." Haruhi turned around. "I can't tie up those last ties."

Kaoru came up behind her and gently began fastening her bodice tight. His fingers were cool against her skin, slow and steady as they methodically laced up the monstrosity. Haruhi closed her eyes and let his sweet smell enclose her frame. Kaoru always smelled of strawberries. His voice was teasing as he finished.

"Poor Haruhi, your commoner arms are too short for this dress. How do you survive?"

"Shut up. It's these sleeves, they're too big."

"They're called virago sleeves. They're meant to be voluminous."

"Tamaki-senpai's heritage becomes more understandable by the day; the French are just as absurd as he is."

Kaoru only smiled at her disgruntled comment. He looked out the window high up on the wall. "The sky's getting darker already."

"That's odd. Is it rain? It _is_ June, after all." Haruhi peered out the window with Kaoru, hesitant.

"Don't worry about it. Worry about how long Tono's going to fuss over you wearing _that_!" Kaoru grinned again.

"Don't remind me."

Sighing, Haruhi wandered out of her private dressing room to the oohs and ahhs of the rest of the club. Daidouji and Renge were beside themselves at how adorable Haruhi looked. Daidouji's cousin, Kinomoto, was visiting for the gala. When Haruhi asked her whether Daidouji's exuberant rants were normal, she had only giggled. Kimiko held Tamaki back so he couldn't smother her, however Haruhi's ears rung with his loud and adoring compliments.

Thus Haruhi entered the hall with a resigned sigh. The satin was top-quality, and smooth against her skin. But the bodice was tight, and she had trouble walking with such ample skirts. The shoes they had given her were delicate things, high-heeled slippers adorned with tiny rosettes. They should have known better, Haruhi had never been good with heels.

The hall was vast, with marble floors and an orchestra nestled in a corner. A table spilling over with delicacies was set up along one wall, unfortunately the opposite wall from where Haruhi was at the moment. She dreaded having to cross the entire room in heels just to get at the food. The chandeliers were already lit up, the sky dark from the tall windows lining opposite walls. It had started raining earlier, but it was a light shower so far. Kaoru joked with her the entire way down to the hall, distracting her from nervous thoughts.

The problem with being in a dress was that it looked absolutely absurd, two girls dancing together. Or rather, one girl pretending to be a boy dressed up as a girl, dancing with another girl. However this didn't stop the many young women asking Haruhi for a dance. Complete with blushing smiles and hopeful eyes. Haruhi kicked her shoes off, and secretly nudged them under the curtain of one of the windows. If she had to dance at all, it would not be in those heels.

As the hour passed by, the rain began getting heavier.

Haruhi had chosen to sit this dance out, and worriedly looked over her shoulder at the water hitting the glass. She put down her plate and discreetly moved towards the exit, down a hallway to find some small, cramped corner. It was instinct that drove her, the desire to find an enclosed space overriding her rational mind. It didn't matter that they were safe inside, away from any lightening or thunder. Nor did it matter that being enclosed would only trap her further. Haruhi only felt safe when she was curled up in a tight ball. She felt her heart speed up as the first of the light flashes came through the windows that seemed to litter the hallway as well. No crack of thunder yet, but Haruhi was never one to take chances.

The thunder came on quickly. Haruhi felt like crying, and cursed her week female tendencies to overreact. She dove into the closest room she could find, which turned out to be an empty classroom. The student's desks were too open, so she crawled carefully under the teacher's and managed to pull the rest of her skirt in with her before another clap of thunder burst. Haruhi cried out in fear and clamped her eyes shut, covering her ears as tightly as she could with sweaty palms. She would have to apologize to Daidouji later, for getting this beautiful dress dirty on the floor.

Strains of music swept in from down the hall, laughter eerily echoing the empty classroom. The rest of the host club didn't seem to mind the thunder and lightening; they were safe inside and determined to show their female companions a good time. Much as Haruhi disliked the frivolous host club activities, she would have given anything to be back there without a care in the world.

The thunder clapped again and Haruhi shoved herself further underneath the desk, slamming herself up against the side of the wood. Tears appeared at the corners of her eyes, her mind frantically trying to think of anything else other than the storm raging outside.

"Haruhi?? ...Haruhi!" A voice rang out from the hall and through the classroom, footsteps clacking against the tile. With her eyes shut, Haruhi could only smell the strawberries as they got so close they were right on top of her.

"K-Kaoru?"

"Haruhi..."

Two arms enclosed her shaking body. Haruhi opened her eyes long enough to see dull amber ones staring out at her from the dark. Kaoru knelt, his tall frame leaning over her petite one as he pulled her out from under the desk and towards him.

"N-No...stop it. I can't-" The lightening lit up the entire room and Haruhi cringed, pulling backwards to hide in her corner.

"Yes, you can. Now stop being an idiot and get over here."

Kaoru managed to pry Haruhi away from the desk and nudged her towards the wall of the classroom. They sat there, backs leaning against the plaster with both of Kaoru's arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders. He rocked her gently back and forth, humming a gay little tune as Haruhi fought to regain the rational side of her mind.

"You need to be out there. They'll notice!"

"They're too busy dancing. Don't worry about it, just hush."

"But..." the thunder came again and Haruhi bit back a scream. Looking for shelter, her harried mind sought out the crook in Kaoru's neck and she buried her face in it. She bit her lip, the iron taste of blood touching the tip of her tongue.

"Shh...don't think about it. Here," Kaoru took off his outlandish hat. He shoved it over Haruhi's eyes and ears, causing her world to become pitch black and the sounds from the outside turning muffled and distant. His voice was also distorted from the thick fabric, amused. "You can't say anything bad about my hat now, can you?"

"Sh-shut up. It's still preposterous."

"Well, this "preposterous hat" is the one keeping that storm away from you. I'd hold off my judgments, dear Haruhi, at least for the time being."

Haruhi responded by frowning into Kaoru's neck. But she didn't say anything else and Kaoru's chest rumbled with his laughter.

They sat there until the storm passed, Haruhi nestled against Kaoru's warmth with his hat mussing the hair Hikaru had so painstakingly done up for her. It was a good thing she had refused makeup, otherwise the mascara would be running down her cheeks about now. Luckily the rain moved on quickly, and after half an hour Haruhi could safely open her eyes again.

When they rejoined the gala, Haruhi took off the capotain and gave it to Kaoru. She smiled at him in thanks.

* * *

**Part IV: In Which There Is An Abundance Of Swimsuits**

* * *

A week into summer vacation, and Haruhi found herself staring at the front door to the Hiitachin mansion.

"...Yes?" An elderly man in a simple black suit and tie opened the door slowly. Considering those two maids that the twins liked to have accompanying them when on their Dress-Up-Haruhi capers, Haruhi wasn't surprised that their butler was also clad in English servant-wear.

"Ano...is Kaoru in today?" Haruhi fidgeted at the stately look the butler was giving her, clothed in a simple shirt and capris.

"May I ask who is looking for him?"

"Fujioka Haruhi, Sir. I'm a friend from school."

"Ah, Fujioka-san." The butler seemed to relax. "Yes, you are on Kaoru and Hikaru-obocchama's list. This way, please." He opened the door up wider and bowed Haruhi in, giving her a thin smile before shutting the massive entrance.

"Thanks."

The butler gave a small nod in return, and indicated that Haruhi should follow him up the stairs in the foyer. Haruhi had only been to the Hiitachin residence once or twice, the only things she remembered from her visits being how vast the place was and how easily it was to get lost among the many corridors. Haruhi studied the swirled patterns on the plush crimson carpeting, and made sure to keep up with the butler who was surprisingly spry for his age. She supposed that he'd have to be, in order to make his way around the large house fast enough to fulfill his duties.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, the elderly servant knocked upon a door on the third floor. Sounds of explosions came through the polished mahogany, and a yell of triumph. At the butler's second knock, a voice called out. Haruhi recognized Hikaru's abrasive speech.

"Yeah?"

"Kaoru-obocchama, I have someone here to see you."

Another voice rang through the door, this one more reserved. "Who is it?"

"A Fujioka Haruhi, Young Master. Shall I send her in?"

"Haruhi?" There was a pause. After a second, the door opened up and Kaoru's curious face poked through the space. He saw Haruhi standing there, and his eyes lit up. "Ah, thanks Jeeves. We'll take her."

"Wha-" Haruhi turned to ask what he meant, but the butler simply nodded and stepped back. Kaoru reached for Haruhi's wrist before she could grasp what was going on, and tugged her into the room, closing the door with a final thump. He grinned at her widely, and jerked his head towards the door.

"D'you like Jeeves? He's been with us for before I can even remember."

Haruhi regained her bearings. Shaking her head, she cocked an eyebrow. "Your butler's name is _Jeeves_?"

"No, I think his name's actually Yamamoto Hideaki. But Hikaru and I like to call him Jeeves."

"Ah...I see." Haruhi didn't really see at all, but she figured it was normal considering this _was_ the twins.

Kaoru grabbed her elbow and led her further into the room, Haruhi turning her head around to get a closer look. It appeared to be one of the many game rooms the Hiitachins had, filled with a few couches, a pool table, and a massive T.V. in front of which Hikaru was sprawled out. Hikaru glanced up at Haruhi from his spot on the floor, back against one of the sofas, and turned back to his video game.

"Hey, Haruhi. Fancy seeing you here. Damn it! I hate those blob things!" Hikaru cursed as the screen went black, the "Game Over" sign flashing in red at the very center. He threw down his controller and frowned in irritation.

Kaoru smirked from where he was standing next to Haruhi behind the sofa. "I _told_ you, you needed that energy pack. But you didn't want to waste your _money_."

"Yeah, well, whatever. That game's lame anyways." Hikaru stood up and grinned over at Haruhi. "What's our little commoner pet doing way out here? How'd you even get here, anyways?"

Haruhi glared at him for the commoner jibe, and looked down, unsure of how she should answer him. Hikaru was always the louder one, quicker to tease than Kaoru. Even though he had toned down his aggressive act as of late due to his attempts at impressing Daidouji-san, Haruhi wouldn't put it past him to mock her if he found out why she had decided on impulse (something she _never_ did) to come here.

Surprisingly enough, Hikaru glanced at her face and then at Kaoru's, and scoffed before turning to walk out the room. "Whatever, I shouldn't be surprised anyways; you've always been too resourceful for your own good. Probably _walked_ all the way here to save on train fare. I'm thirsty; I'm going to get something to drink."

The door slammed shut after Hikaru, leaving Haruhi alone with Kaoru. The younger Hiitachin smiled lazily and leaned his hip against the back of the sofa, staring at Haruhi. "Subtle, isn't he?"

"Who, Hikaru?" Haruhi scoffed, "Not likely."

"Oh come on, knowing you, you probably noticed his changes before even I did." Kaoru tweaked Haruhi's nose, to her annoyed protests. "He's not as self-centered anymore. I'd have thought you'd be happy."

"Yeah, yeah." Haruhi blushed in disgruntlement. "I didn't come here anyways to talk about Hikaru."

"Oh?" Kaoru folded his arms and tilted his head. "Why _did_ you come? You've never taken the initiative to visit any one of us _before_."

"Yes, well..." Haruhi reached for the flap to the bag she had slung over her shoulder, rummaging through its contents. "I've never had any reason to before. Ah, there it is!"

"There's what?"

Haruhi smiled and held out a drawstring bag made out of simple blue plaid and tied with a bit of ribbon. "Here. Open it."

"What's this?" Kaoru slowly took the bag from Haruhi's outstretched palms and untied the ribbon, peering into the bag's contents. "...Chocolate chip cookies?"

Kaoru turned quizzical eyes towards Haruhi, and she blushed in embarrassment. She was never one to bring up her weaknesses and fears deliberately. "It's thanks...for helping me that one night. You know...with the storm."

Peeking up to see the younger Hiitachin's reaction, Haruhi was surprised to see Kaoru looking absolutely dumbfounded.

"You made...cookies...for me?"

Haruhi shrugged, not sure of what to say. She hadn't been expecting his shock. Was there some sort of rich person protocol she hadn't known? Had she needed to run all thank you presents by the person first before giving them? Maybe he was allergic to chocolate or something. But that was absurd, Haruhi had never heard of anyone allergic to chocolate.

Kaoru stared down at the bag for a second, and then shook his head. When he looked back up at Haruhi, there was a wide beam on his face.

"Thanks, Haruhi dear. I love cookies. I could get used to this commoner gratitude."

"Commoners shouldn't be the _only_ ones to express gratitude. Hadn't your mother ever taught you _manners_?"

"Yes, but it's mostly how to accept gifts from others, not the other way around. We have people to give our gifts out. There's a lot to memorize, the proper etiquette and knowing how to accept from certain persons. You don't accept a gift from a lord the same way you do from a duchess, you know."

Haruhi deadpanned, "No, I _don't_ know."

"Ah, right," Kaoru grinned, the spark back in his eyes. "I forgot. You've probably only seen duchesses in _magazines_."

"I could just take those cookies back."

Kaoru gasped, horrified. "No! You can't just take back something you _made_ for me! That's like...like..."

"...Taking back something you don't deserve?"

"Hey! I saved your life!"

"Helping me through my fears isn't saving me from _anything_ other than myself."

"Yes, but you can be a very intimidating figure, Haruhi dear. _I'd_ save someone from you."

Haruhi growled and swiped at the cookies Kaoru held high above her head. "Give those back, I changed my mind."

"No way. Is that all you came here for?"

She sighed, giving up. Kaoru used his height to his advantage; the cookies were too high up for her to even consider reaching. Shaking her head in defeat, Haruhi answered, "No. Kaoru, you're good with clothes, aren't you?"

"It's called fashion, Haruhi dear. Something I'm afraid you're lacking in, at the moment." Kaoru eyed her casual outfit with disdain. "Did you shop at a _thrift store_?"

"What?" Haruhi looked down, nonplussed. "It's comfortable and cheap. I don't have to look _nice_, no one's watching."

"The _world_ is your audience! Every time you go out in public, you _must_ put your good face forward!"

"...You really need to stop pulling these Tamaki-senpai impressions out." Haruhi fidgeted, clasping her hands together and twiddling her thumbs. "I thought you could help me out, again."

"Ah, so the cookies were a _bribe_." Kaoru finally brought the bag down and took one out, sampling Haruhi's cooking with relish. "These are _good_. I'm always amazed out how someone like you could manage to do something as girly as this, and _well_."

"Hey, I resent that. And _no_, they weren't a bribe. That was goodwill. It's not a _big_ favor, anyways."

Kaoru polished off another cookie. "So? What is it?"

Haruhi grimaced. "My dad wants me to go to the beach with him this summer. He claims we don't spend enough "father-daughter" time."

"Tono or your real dad?"

"Oh god, not Tamaki-senpai. I wouldn't even consider it if it had been him."

"So what's the problem?"

"My...swimsuit doesn't really...fit me anymore."

Kaoru stilled, and eyed Haruhi's frame. Haruhi blushed and squirmed under his scrutinizing stare, glaring at him. She wasn't one to be embarrassed by her body, but sometimes the Hiitachin twins were so intense when they examined her form that it was a little unnerving. Still, Kaoru had a good head for fashion on his shoulders. It was at least better than Hikaru's, who would no doubt have put her in something as outrageous as the costumes they wore for the host club.

Kaoru rubbed his chin. "Did all those desserts make you fat?"

Haruhi growled. "No, they did _not_. I just...got bigger." She gestured towards her chest. "...Here."

"My dear Haruhi, do you mean to tell me you've _filled out_?" Kaoru's delighted grin was playful. "Will wonders never cease?"

"Now you're just doing this to annoy me. I can go to someone else..."

"No way, they'd just butcher everything. So, you wanted a swimsuit, is that it?" Kaoru peered at Haruhi's body one more time and pushed off from his leaning position against the couch. "Right then, follow me."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Haruhi pulled back when Kaoru grabbed on to her wrist, suspicious.

"Getting you a swimsuit, of course. Haruhi dear, you need to get with it a little faster."

"What, _here_?" Haruhi paused, realizing what she was saying. Of course Hikaru and Kaoru kept their clothing here, how else did they always seem to have ready access to dozens of outfits to dress her up in? She sighed. "Never mind."

Kaoru chuckled and pulled Haruhi down the hall. "That's right, here. Your dad won't know what hit him."

They spent the rest of the afternoon picking out the perfect suit for Haruhi. Kaoru wanted her in something more revealing than Haruhi was used to wearing, and Haruhi was stubbornly against anything with frills. After awhile, it was clear to Haruhi that she was going home with more than one suit from the Hiitachin storehouse. She swore that she'd make more cookies for Kaoru, to which he replied that she'd better just teach him how to make them instead.

* * *

Haruhi did in fact teach Kaoru how to bake cookies in her home, as well as a cake for his dad's birthday. They ended up destroying the kitchen in the process, getting flour over all their clothes, but Kaoru insisted on giving Haruhi another outfit that he had made just for her so she didn't mind terribly. It took them two extra hours just to clean the icing off the ceiling, though. Mostly due to the fact that Kaoru kept sneaking up on Haruhi as she was picking off bits and scaring her witless, causing more icing to splatter on the tile. When they were finally done, Kaoru and Haruhi enjoyed the cookies with milk Haruhi had bought on sale at the grocery store just for the occasion. Kaoru didn't complain about the "poor quality" either, which made for a pleasant afternoon.

Ranka had to cancel on their beach date last minute, and Kaoru insisted on taking Haruhi so she could show off the suits he had given her. Hikaru ended up coming along as an excuse to invite Daidouji, which meant that the rest of the host club somehow found out as well. They made it an outing, but Kaoru and Haruhi managed to escape the rowdiness to walk on the wet sand right as the waters were lapping at their ankles. Kaoru teased her for "filling out", and Haruhi threatened to refuse any more cooking lessons. Kaoru had learned the joys of baking and had been insisting that Haruhi teach him more. That shut him up.

They spent the rest of summer break in Haruhi's kitchen, learning the bake all the foods that Kaoru had introduced to her before school got out. Kaoru bought most of the ingredients in exchange for Haruhi's cooking skills.

Ranka came to assume that his kitchen would never be the same again.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope Haruhi's dress was elaborate enough for all your fans of Haruhi dressing up and looking like the cute girl she is. I like Versailles fashion sometimes, though gods know I would never wear those dresses.

Also, I would think that there are people out there who are allergic to chocolate. After all, there are people allergic to wheat, and a girl who gets a rash if she touches water. I'd hate to have that allergy.

I personally like thrift stores; I shop at them quite often and find a lot of fun clothes. Then again, my fashion style is a little more...eccentric, than most. Colorful, I would say.

And awww, I really like the "Haruhi dear" title, for some reason. I think it's cute. Don't you?

Hope to see you guys soon! I'll try to get the last installment out as soon as possible! Believe me, I have just as much fun finding out what happens as you guys do.


	3. 3 of 3: Kisses Make The World Go Round

**Caffeinated Beginnings:** A Not-So-Obvious-Romance

By: .Canned.Laughter.

* * *

**A/N:** Oy, I finished! Aren't you guys just so proud of me? Endings are tough, simply because you have all that anticipation building up from the readers. An ending can make or break a story, really. 

Thank you all who have reviewed this last chapter: sakuraichigo, patback409, cutiececile, -'Kumori-Koi-Chan'-, DSchan, myrrdinowl, Angelgreen65, o0xXxGaMe SeT aNd MaTcHxXx0o, Lady Cecilia Rose, thank you so much for your lovely comments! They spur me on, really they do.

I hope you all like this last installment of Caffeinated Beginnings. I know I had fun writing it. There are some sugary sweet moments, some moments of anger, some moments of frustration, and even some moments of bewilderment. All in all, I hope it meets your needs for some good Kaoru and Haruhi lovin'.

My only request is that for those of you who have the time or energy, if you could please send a review, that would truly make my day. I love those reviews that give specifics on what worked and what didn't, it only helps my writing in the long run. I've had enough constructive criticism in the past that anything apart from unnecessary flaming will not offend me.

That said, please enjoy the finale of Caffeinated Beginnings!

* * *

**Part V: In Which There Are Jealous Boyfriends**

* * *

Second trimester was well underway, much to many Ouran students' displeasure. The summer sun began setting earlier and earlier, the fall settling in and leaves drying up all around campus. The host club took this opportunity to use the gloom of the upcoming winter months and turn it into something anticipatory, starting off with a few tropical paradise events as per tradition, and moving on to autumn events such as carving pumpkins with favorite hosts. Kyoya made a bit of a profit on the side for the club, by selling their respective carved creations to girls who didn't mind the fact that the pumpkins would be rotten within a few weeks. Haruhi's were especially popular, most of the girls thought her disastrous attempts at art to be endearing and earnest.

Tamaki spent a lot of his time being the perfect host king to his customers, this being his second to last trimester before graduation. He was determined to go down in history as the most renowned leader of the club, no matter the fact that he was so far the _only_ leader. The host club let him do his thing, as many of the ideas he got in his head made little sense anyways. Their only objection was for Tamaki to quit insisting on ridiculous cosplay events such as dressing up as scarecrows. Even Renge pulled the plug on that idea, and she normally went along with Tamaki's outrageousness. But then again, Renge's idea of fishermen battling out the tropical typhoons that came in autumn (complete with fans blowing water in every direction) was also vetoed.

Kyoya had the idea of moon viewings, a typical event that took place in September. It placated Tamaki in that it was a traditional Japanese activity, and excited Renge with all the romantic possibilities. Kyoya always _did_ have the best ideas. Of course, his inspiration was pure profit, which was a powerful motivator. Many of the girls signed up for their viewings which took place at least once a week throughout the month, set in one of the more secluded gardens on campus. Tamaki insisted on carriages that picked up their customers from their individual homes to take them back to the school when evening fell.

Surprisingly, Tamaki named Chika as his successor in leading the host club once he and Kyoya were gone. No one had been expecting this, least of all, Chika. It made sense to the rest of them; however, once they sat down to think. It wouldn't do to have both of the twins on the throne, and it made less sense to have one over the other as the king. Haruhi had little to no motivation to keep the host club alive with excitement, her very apathetic personality testified to that. Out of the two first years, Chika was the one who had the brains like Kyoya and intensity that rivaled Tamaki's to fulfill both of their roles as host club head. Satoshi was a more willing host, for sure; however he was more content in being Chika's motivator. He _had_ come from a long line of followers to the Hanninozuka clan.

Chika absolutely refused the offer, of course. At least, until Satoshi "persuaded" him to agree.

Besides, after several months, Chika was starting to get used to the showy atmosphere surrounding the host club. It was a nice change from his Karate club anyways. Sometimes he could almost see why Hunni had spent so much time with this whimsical cast of men (and women). But that was on rare occasions. He still thought his elder brother was an alien.

The twins didn't mind their non-promotion in the least. Kaoru was happy going along with everyone else's antics, and Hikaru didn't have the attention span to micromanage every event like Kyoya did. They promised to still keep the website up and running; however Hikaru decided to also take on the role of "costume designer". He partnered with Daidouji a lot, inventing new and even more outlandish ways of dressing the rest of the club members up. He began training with associates of his mother on the side, learning the high-fashion trade and incorporating it into his outfits. With all that Daidouji was doing to help, Tamaki declared her to be an official member of the club. She even got a few customers herself, both male and female alike.

Kaoru didn't mind letting Hikaru take the lead in the host club cosplay. He preferred to go the more traditional route in his career plans, and was already looking into colleges of fashion design to apply to next year. It was strange to him, but the females who came into the host club every afternoon began looking less and less for their "brotherly love" act and more for the general banter Hikaru and Kaoru managed to keep up. Several weeks into the second trimester and Kaoru was shocked to find that he got his own individual designations one afternoon, without Hikaru. The younger Hiitachin wasn't sure whether he was prepared for that, but he had always assumed that it would happen eventually. The little family Tamaki had made of them was long gone, this year being a year of change for all of them as individuals, not as a group. That phase had already passed.

Instead of spending ninety percent of his time with his twin, Kaoru let Hikaru bond with Daidouji in peace. He sought out Haruhi most of the time, using her as his doll when he wanted to practice his own fashion design. Haruhi didn't mind as much as she used to, Kaoru was the more subdued twin after all. He didn't make her head spin with noisy chatter when he stuck pins this way and that into her. Because Hikaru liked to go with Daidouji to her choir practice once host club activities were done with, Kaoru walked Haruhi home every afternoon. They played the Would You Rather game and tried to guess at what host club theme Kyoya would surprise them with next. Haruhi was always a little more conservative in her guesses than Kaoru. She tended to be wrong more often than him, simply because the host club was anything _but_ conservative.

Haruhi was sometimes surprised at how much her host club friends had grown. But then again, this was high school. And she was always told that high school was a time for transformations. Haruhi tended to listen to the wisdom of her elders.

* * *

It was a relatively warm afternoon for November; Haruhi looked out the window to see that leaves were slowly turning into rich reds, oranges, and yellows. Pretty soon they'd all fall off leaving their trunks barren for the winter. Even in the middle of host club activities, Haruhi sometimes ended up wandering off into a place far away from reality. She cocked her head and stood there with a tray of used tea cups in her hand, watching leaves float down to the ground. The last of the girls were leaving, and yet Haruhi wasn't alert enough to send them off with a proper farewell. 

"Stare any harder and you'll burn a hole through the glass." There was a smile in the mellow voice as a figure moved up behind her.

"Ara?" Haruhi broke out of her stupor, and turned around. Kaoru stood there, hands casually stuffed in his pockets and head leaning forward so he could look at her eye to eye. His smile was easy, lips curving upwards lethargically.

"You want to be careful, Haruhi dear, Kyoya-senpai'll increase your debt if you destroy school property."

Haruhi snorted. "Don't be absurd, I was only looking out the window."

"Ah, sweet Haruhi, you don't have a dramatic bone in your body, do you?" Kaoru straightened and broke into a full-out grin, apparently expecting Haruhi's dry reply.

"I prefer practicality to dramatics." Haruhi shifted and headed off in the direction she had originally planned on going to, crossing the music room and carefully placing the dirty dishes inside a bin in one of their storage closets. The maids came to pick up their used tableware later.

Kaoru had followed her. He leaned against the doorway of the closet and watched as Haruhi gently arranged her dishes inside their wash-bin. No doubt a broken cup would also add to her seemingly-eternal debt. Haruhi could feel Kaoru's eyes on her as if he were merely a few inches away. The feeling intensified and soon Haruhi found Kaoru's arms wrapped around her neck as he hugged her to his chest. He was tall enough that he could prop his chin on her head, laying his cheek against her hair.

"Haruhiii...why are you so popular among those girls?"

"Huh?" Haruhi turned around, and Kaoru adjusted his arms so that they dangled over her shoulders. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_," Kaoru leaned forward and let his forehead rest against hers, causing Haruhi's eyes to cross while trying to look at Kaoru properly. "You're a girl too!"

"...I believe we established that long ago, Kaoru. What's your point?" Haruhi gave up on trying to focus her eyes and instead let them slide over Kaoru's nose like water.

"...I don't like it." Kaoru's voice was low in his chest, a soft rumble that made it hard for Haruhi to hear what he was saying. She pulled back and stared straight into his eyes.

"What?"

Kaoru let her go and smiled brightly. He ran a hand through his already messy hair and reached out to ruffle Haruhi's. She gave a small protest but then simply took it, still staring at him. The twins were always touching her in one way or the other, so there really was no point in trying to resist.

Kaoru's large hands were like a typical guy's: rough from playing around too long outside as children. But they were also surprisingly tender as he moved from mussing her hair to wander down towards her cheek, stroking the smooth skin with the tips of his fingers. Haruhi found herself leaning into his touch, it felt good. And with Kaoru, she was comfortable. He had done it often enough this past year that it was as natural as waking up in the morning.

When Haruhi looked up at him, Kaoru's amber eyes flashed gold. They always did when he was thinking too hard about something. "Even the class D girls are starting to come in, like that one you had today. They normally stay with their own gangs."

"Ah, yeah." Haruhi didn't nod, but she let her cheek rest in Kaoru's palm in assent.

There was one class D girl that had come in that afternoon, Haruhi's first designation of the day. It was rare that any of the D class came near those of the A, B, or even C classes. They chose to stick with their own, being mostly kids of yakuza. The fact that this girl had come in and had chosen Haruhi so quickly as if she had already known what she was coming in _for_, was curious. But Haruhi hadn't paid it any attention. She had been nice enough, as nice as those yakuza children were without resorting to dirty tricks and mean looks. But that's to be expected, with their upbringing. At least, that's what the rest of the school thought. Personally Haruhi didn't see any difference between that girl and the rest of the school. She supposed that their lack of "proper" upbringing simply meant that these class D students weren't taught "normal" lessons of the rich such as which fork to use for the main course and how to chat with a business associate's wife.

There was a commotion going on outside the closet, breaking Haruhi from her musings. She and Kaoru broke apart to peek outside. It sounded like a moose bellowing, the hurried protests of the other hosts increasing the din.

"What's going on?" Kaoru leaned against Haruhi as she poked her head out the doorway.

There was an unfamiliar face barging into the room, some time after host activities had ceased for the day. It was a boy; he was wearing the school uniform so Haruhi assumed he was a student of Ouran. His long bleached yellow hair was wild around his face and his eyes were furious. Tamaki was pushed backwards when he tried to stop the stranger in his footsteps.

"My fight's not with you! Where's Fujioka??"

"Eh? Haruhi? I'm truly sorry Sir but the host club is currently closed for the day, perhaps if you come back tomorrow our Haruhi will be available for you to designate...?" Tamaki, though taller than this boy before him and not a weakling himself, was pushed back by the sheer power of the stranger's look. The host club king held up both hands in surrender, not understanding what was going on.

"Fujioka Haruhi, come out right _now_ and face me like a man!"

Haruhi wasn't sure what was going on. She stepped out from the closet right in the path of the rampaging stranger.

"Here I am, who are you?"

The boy turned to look at her. His fists were clenched. "_You're_ Fujioka?" He stopped a few feet in front of her, and examined her up and down. "_You're_ the one Haruko's got a picture of?"

"Haruko?" Haruhi cocked her head, still not fazed, even with this young man who beat her in height by at least a foot. "I don't know anyone by that name."

"Yes you do, you know _exactly_ who that is! Kanzaki Haruko is _my_ girlfriend who _you_ dared to seduce!!" The stranger's rough voice was like an ocean roar as it filled the room up with deafening sound. One of his feet shot forward and he remained in that lunging position, fist out and ready for a fight.

Kyoya interfered with a cold "Do have the courtesy to keep your voice down, I would find it highly unpleasant should you cause a scene."

Kyoya's glasses flashed in threat, causing everyone in the room to pause. Collectively, they gulped nervously, even the stranger. No one would have escaped the Ohtori's wrath should Kyoya give the word. Sometimes, Haruhi thought that Kyoya used his power a little too liberally. She gave a little shiver at the menace in Kyoya's smile, before giving her full attention back to the stranger.

"There was someone by the name of Kanzaki who visited us today, and yes, I did spend some time with her. But I never had the intention of seducing her..." Haruhi stopped, not sure of what to call this boy.

He looked to be in pain, his face contorted as he kept his anger under control. "Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi Kenji."

"...Yamaguchi-san, then. Kanzaki-san was a customer; she was not forced into coming to the host club this afternoon."

Haruhi felt body heat against her back, and looked up to see Kaoru standing behind her, with his mouth set in a grim line. She put a cool hand on one of his balled fists, stalling him from doing anything drastic. Looking around, it appeared as if Satoshi and Chika had already left before any of this happened. Tamaki stood in front of Kimiko, who was watching with curious eyes. Kyoya sat there at one of the tables, and looked for all appearances to be ignoring the argument as long as it didn't disturb his work on his laptop. Hikaru seemed eager to barge in from the other end of the room; however Daidouji had stopped him with a hand on his arm, and smiled at Haruhi. Haruhi would have to thank her later. She may have her fanatic moments, but Daidouji-san seemed to have a good head on her shoulders.

Yamaguchi seemed to just stand there, conflicted in how he should proceed. It was clear to Haruhi that he wanted things to be straightforward, to simply brawl with this tinier scholarship student and be done with it. His victory would have been assured; he was obviously stronger and taller than Haruhi. With a gruff voice, Yamaguchi-san gave a surly reply.

"Then why did Haruko have a _picture_ of you in her bag?? You must have done something to brainwash her, the Haruko I know is loyal to _me_."

"I have not even met her before today, Yamaguchi-san. How can you be so sure that it was me she had that picture of? Did you get a good look at it?"

"...No." His response was like a rebellious child, words torn from his throat unwillingly. "But a friend of mine saw it. And when I asked Haruko, she mentioned you. You are a _coward_, taking another man's girl by underhanded means!"

Haruhi felt Kaoru remove his fist from her hand. His voice was cold, icier than Haruhi had ever heard it before. "Haruhi would never do something like that."

"Oh yeah?" Yamaguchi took a few steps forward so that his chest bumped against Haruhi's. He looked down at her ominously, his fist rising in fury. "We'll see about tha-"

"Stop it! Stop it, Kenji, right _now_!!"

A girl ran into the room, Haruhi recognized her as the Kanzaki-san that had designated her earlier today. Her caramel brown eyes sparked in determination as she shoved herself in-between Haruhi and Yamaguchi, pushing her boyfriend away with a ferocity that most of the class A girls didn't have. Haruhi admired her spirit, and could see why someone as strong as Yamaguchi-san would go for a fiery girl like this. They were two peas in a pod. Kanzaki's short cropped hair stood out as if she were charged with electricity. She went on in a shrill voice, as she poked a finger viciously into Yamaguchi's chest repeatedly.

"Don't you _dare_ lay a finger on Haruhi-kun! It's _my_ crush that's at fault, he didn't do a _thing_!"

"B-But...Haruko-chan..."

"Don't _Haruko-chan_ me!! I know what you were about to do!"

"I wasn't...I _swear_..."

"Not another _word_ Kenji! I don't even want to _look_ at you right now!" Kanzaki gave Yamaguchi a look that seemed to shoot a dozen arrows into his chest, causing him to protest like a child who had his candy stolen from him. Kanzaki pushed roughly past his pleas and stormed out of the room, not even bothering to greet any of the other hosts who were watching on in bewilderment.

Like lightening, she was gone. The rest of the hosts wondered whether she was brought on to the scene just to interfere with Yamaguchi's fight. More bizarre things had happened at the host club before.

Yamaguchi looked a little lost. He almost rushed out to chase after his girlfriend, but he stopped before taking a step and turned around swiftly to face down Haruhi. Haruhi wrinkled her nose; Yamaguchi was so close that she could smell his last meal on his breath. She tried to take a step back, and pushed Kaoru back with a warning hand so that he wouldn't cause any trouble. Yamaguchi raised a fist again, murder in his eyes.

"_You_...Fujioka, _you_..."

Haruhi held up a hand, her eyes not betraying any fear. "Both Kanzaki-san and I have just told you that I had nothing to do with this, and you're still looking for a fight? Try looking inside yourself first to see _why_ her eyes would stray, rather then pushing the blame on others."

Yamaguchi stuttered. A vein popped out on his forehead. He took one more step forward, and stopped once more. In another second, he turned around rapidly and stalked out of the room, calling out Kanzaki's name in a rage.

For a moment, there was an uncertain silence among the host club.

Tamaki broke it, by giving a loud wail and rushing towards Haruhi, pulling her into a suffocating hug that caused her to loudly object.

"My poor, poor Haruhi! Oh you wretched thing, how frightened you must have been! Not to worry, I'm here to chase all of your fears away!"

"Tamaki-senp-no-stop it...no-put me _down_!"

Kimiko somehow pulled Tamaki away, and Haruhi slapped his hands when he tried to reach out again, scowling in irritation. Hikaru and Daidouji also came up to see how she had fared. Hikaru looked positively livid.

"Haruhi, you want me to beat that guy up? I can do it, you just watch-"

"_No_, Hikaru, I don't want you to beat Yamaguchi-san up."

"You were _wonderful_ Haruhi-senpai! Just like in the movies, where the female heroine beats the bad guy with flair! Oh why, oh _why_ couldn't I have dressed you up in costume first??"

"No really, Daidouji-san, it wasn't necessary..."

Haruhi fought off Hikaru's death threats, Tamaki's dramatic concern, and Daidouji's excitement. She was already tired from the exertion that it took just to make Yamaguchi-san go away, she didn't want to have to deal with the aftermath. As always, when things began to get too chaotic, Haruhi turned to Kaoru for help.

Except he wasn't there to back her up.

Standing a little ways off, Kaoru was still where Yamaguchi had confronted Haruhi. His mouth was still in that thin line, now to the point where Haruhi couldn't even see it. She left the rest of the hosts to their passionate conversations and approached the normally gentle Hiitachin.

"Kaoru? Is something wrong?"

He was looking straight ahead, fists clenched against his side. Haruhi stood in front of him and took one of his hands in her own. She tried again.

"Kao-"

"Why did you _stop_ me?"

He was quiet, and he slid his hand out of hers.

"What do you mean?" Haruhi cocked an eyebrow. She thought Kaoru was being ignorant. "I couldn't have just let you _beat him up_. He wasn't going to do anything."

"...You didn't know that."

Haruhi paused, and looked hard into Kaoru's eyes. They had turned into liquid gold, hot enough to look like molten lava. "Are you...mad?"

He finally looked at her, his face shaped into one of disbelief. "You could've been _hurt_, Haruhi!"

"But I wasn't." Haruhi looked up at Kaoru and rested a hand on his cheek. She wondered if he would calm down soon. It didn't make sense, why he was so unnecessarily angry. "I'm fine, Kaoru."

Kaoru gritted his teeth. "Oh that's right," he spat out, "you're _Haruhi_. You don't need _anyone_. You can take care of _yourself_."

He walked away and didn't even turn around to say goodbye to the others before leaving the music room.

Haruhi felt a little lonely that afternoon, walking home by herself.

* * *

**Part IV: In Which There Is A Failure Of Subtle Tactics**

* * *

"I don't understand..."

Haruhi sighed, muttering to herself several minutes after the host club had closed for the day. She picked up her area, and held her tray of dirty dishes in her hands while scanning the room for Kaoru.

He hadn't talked to her since that afternoon, and it had been three _days_. Haruhi was getting a little fed up with his childish behavior. She just couldn't understand why he was so ticked off. It hadn't been a life or death situation, nothing truly bad had come out of Yamaguchi-san's visit. He even came by the next day to apologize, though Kanzaki-san had been twisting his arm at the time.

Turning to put her tea cups away, Haruhi spotted Kaoru being beckoned over by Kyoya. The look on the vice president's face was not a good one, and Haruhi hoped it wasn't terribly unpleasant for Kaoru. She had been trying to talk to him since that afternoon, to figure everything out, but he would avoid her in class, escape from her in the hallways, and busy himself with everything else other than her during host club time. Haruhi was frustrated with the situation in general.

"Haruhi-senpai? Are you alright? You look a little distant there."

Haruhi turned around from her position inside the storage closet to see Daidouji and Hikaru walking up to her. Daidouji's expression was inquisitive, her hands clasped behind her back and a calm smile on her face.

"Ah, yeah, I'm fine. Aren't you supposed to be at choir practice soon, Daidouji-san?"

"Oh! Yes, thanks Haruhi-senpai, I almost lost track of time. You sure you're alright though?"

"Yes, yes, nothing to worry about." Haruhi smiled in reassurance, but held out a hand to stop Hikaru from following Daidouji. "Hikaru, could I talk with you for a second?"

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Yeah...sure. Go ahead Tomoyo, I'll catch up later."

Haruhi pulled Hikaru in with her into the storage closet, and poked a head out to make sure Kaoru was still talking with Kyoya. It looked like Kyoya was lecturing the younger Hiitachin, possibly about the surly attitude Kaoru had had these past few days.

Hikaru leaned against one of the shelves that stored the many sets of dishes they had, Kyoya had insisted on keeping with the latest in tea finery. He tilted his head and stared at Haruhi. "So, what's this about?"

"...Kaoru."

"Are you two _still_ fighting?" Hikaru gave an annoyed grunt. "He's been utterly impossible to live with!"

"Well, I don't even _know_ why he's not talking to me. Do you, Hikaru?"

"Why would _I_ know?"

Haruhi blinked. She would have thought that that'd been obvious. "You're his brother."

"Yeah, well, you're his _girlfriend_."

"...What?" Haruhi stopped her reply when Hikaru said that. Her mouth fell open in surprise. Where did Hikaru even get that idea? It was absolutely absurd. "No I'm not."

It was Hikaru's turn to blink. He straightened. "You broke up? When'd that happen?"

Haruhi threw up her hands. "How could two people break up if they've never been _together_?"

"Oh get _serious_ Haruhi, you can't honestly be telling me you didn't _know_ you two were dating!"

At this point the world began to spin around Haruhi. She stepped backwards and hit the shelves behind her, facing Hikaru with a bewildered frown on her face. Her fingers clutched at one of the lower shelves and she shook her head slowly.

"You're joking with me, aren't you, Hikaru. Can't _you_ be serious, for once?"

Hikaru's jaw dropped. "I _am_ serious! You mean you didn't _know_? The walks home, the hugs, the _dates_?"

"What dates?"

"He took you out only a _million_ times!"

"But..."

"He bought you _food_!"

"Wait a second..."

"You two are _always_ together!"

"I don't..." Haruhi's eyebrows furrowed in thought, her mind on fire. Was she _that_ dense? Those hadn't been dates, _had they_? But what Hikaru said made sense, the more Haruhi thought about it. She was the most comfortable with Kaoru, more than she had been with anyone else. He was always within a few feet of her, always there waiting to joke around and smile. Always there to hug her, kiss her cheek, whisper in her ear. It had been both Hikaru and Kaoru who started out that way, with the physical intimacy. Why hadn't Haruhi realized that after awhile it turned from the two twins to simply...Kaoru?

Hikaru started to guffaw, loudly. "Oh god, Haruhi, don't tell me you're _that_ thick!"

"He never _said_..."

"You need a neon _sign_ to tell you when you're in a relationship?"

"But..." Haruhi's mind refused to believe that she had simply slipped into a romantic relationship with someone without her even noticing. She paused in thought, before walking hurriedly out of the closet and letting her eyes scan the room. Kaoru was just finishing his chat with Kyoya.

Haruhi marched straight up to him, Hikaru's laugh following her all the way out from the closet and urging her on. She could see him trail behind her to watch the drama unfolding. Haruhi shook her head and focused on Kaoru, tugging at his wrist so he couldn't escape. Kyoya left the pair to finish his paperwork. Kaoru gave her an irritated glance.

"...What?"

She burst out. "Why didn't you _tell_ me we were dating??"

Out of all the things Haruhi could have stopped Kaoru for, that was not one of the ones he had been expecting. He halted, and stared at her, making Haruhi suddenly worry that Hikaru had gotten it wrong. Why had she let him lead her down that path of thought? She shouldn't have believed him so easily, of _course_ she and Kaoru weren't dating! It was preposterous! Now he was not only going to be annoyed, he was going to be freaked out by her as well!

But then, he did an astonishing thing to Haruhi. Kaoru tapped his chin with a finger, and looked straight into her eyes, examining her distraught expression.

"I thought it had been obvious enough without an official declaration," Kaoru cocked his head and slowly smiled down at Haruhi. "Don't tell me you didn't realize...?"

All of the angry, frustrated, worried, nervous feelings left Haruhi in a big gust of air. Complete deflated, her voice was small and weak with the next question.

"...Wh-when?"

"When I took you to coffee...I think?"

"But...but that was _ages_ ago!"

Kaoru shrugged. Haruhi didn't let go of his wrist.

"We never even _kissed_!"

Hikaru took the moment to pipe up. "You _haven't_? Kaoru, what have you been _doing_ with her all this time?"

Kaoru shrugged again. "I was going for subtlety." He finally looked down at Haruhi, and his frown slowly turned into a smile. "Is _that_ all you can think about, Haruhi dear?"

"What?? No-I just-"

"No worries, that can be solved easily." Kaoru wriggled his way out of Haruhi's grasp and placed his hands on her shoulders.

Haruhi swallowed hard, growing nervous at the sudden lack of distance between her face and Kaoru's. He had looked at her up close before, but it never had that romantic context added to it. At least, Haruhi never _thought_ that it had. Now, everything was different. Kaoru leaned forward and smiled, lazily tilting Haruhi's head back. Before she could even question what he was doing, Kaoru was covering her lips with his own. She tasted sweetness from his mouth, her hands going up timidly to rest against his chest. His fingertips brushed lightly against the back of her neck, and he pulled back only a scant centimeter, so that his words brushed against her lips like light puffs of air.

"I didn't know you wanted kisses that badly, Haruhi dear."

"I..." Haruhi felt her cheeks burning up, she suspected one could fry eggs on them. All wit had left her for the moment.

Hikaru's voice was dry as he walked away from the pair. "Way to go Kaoru, you've successfully kissed your girlfriend of _seven months_ for the very first time." He muttered to himself while leaving to catch up with Tomoyo. "_Subtlety_, he says. Honestly."

Kaoru waved his brother off vaguely, and turned his attention back to Haruhi. Haruhi was still a little shocked by her first official kiss, the one at that Christmas dance last year not counting.

"Haruhi dear? Are you alright?"

"..."

"...I'm sorry about ignoring you. I was being...childish. I got scared, that you'd get hurt."

"You...did?" Haruhi's voice was faint, but she was slowly regaining her senses.

"...Yeah." And it was only _now_ that the faint reddening of Kaoru's cheeks was obvious to Haruhi.

"I'm...sorry for worrying you, then. And for...being too independent."

"Mmm, but that's the way I like you, Haruhi dear." Kaoru leaned forward and stole another kiss. "That's the way I like you, just fine." He smiled against her lips and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

Haruhi leaned into his kisses willingly. She supposed it was official, then. She had her first boyfriend.

* * *

To make absolutely sure, Haruhi had gone to Renge for some female advice a day later. Not that she had wanted to, but Renge had been the only female friend available at the time. Surprisingly enough, Renge had been quite helpful. She asked about what Haruhi would do if she found out that Kaoru would be gone forever. 

Haruhi gave it some thought, and hated the clenching her chest did whenever she tried to imagine it. Renge insisted that that was what love was. Haruhi hated the sappiness in Renge's voice, but she accepted the facts for what they were. They made sense to her, at least. She didn't think she'd like it much should Kaoru disappear. Especially if he found another girlfriend. Haruhi hated that idea.

Outwardly, Haruhi and Kaoru's relationship didn't seem to change to the rest of the school. Haruhi supposed that they had been "dating" for so long that they had fallen into a natural pattern that was undetectable to anyone who wasn't close to her or Kaoru. She still debated with Kaoru over whether or not they could call anything before those kisses "dates", but that was a trivial discussion.

The good thing was, Haruhi found herself subject to more hugs and more kisses from Kaoru. She grew to like his touches and leaned in eagerly when host club duties were done for the day.

They went out to eat more, once Kaoru stopped having to make up a good excuse to get Haruhi to join him. If it was a date, then no reason was required.

In all, Haruhi supposed she would let Kaoru get away with not telling her. It probably turned out for the best anyways; Haruhi wasn't stupid enough to not realize she had had a horrible track record with guys. In reality, what Kaoru did was probably the best way to make Haruhi his own.

And at least it was Kaoru who had tried it. Haruhi didn't mind...seeing as it was Kaoru.

* * *

**A/N:** So...what did you all think? Like I said, reviews are most welcome! Particularly ones with lots of specific detail. 

They finally kiss...aww. I was very happy to get to write that part, and I hope I did this entire episode justice. It's so crucial to the entire story, you know? Hopefully you got the same sentiments as I did.

Thanks all for reading and reviewing! I hope to be back sooner or later with more Ouran goodness, but until then, have great lives!


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